.22 long rifle accuracy

[Ledd Slinger]

I've never tried subsonic ammo because I'm usually shooting critters with them. Might have to try it to see the difference in accuracy. My 24" rifle puts up some great 5 shot groups at 100 yards. Usually a little under 3/4". Here's a pic of a 3 shot group at 100 yards with a great lot of ammo I had. Other lots I have now don't shoot quite as well. Don't have pics of my 5 shot groups with this rifle.


The other 18" Tula rifle is very accurate as well. Here's a pic of a 5 shot group at 50 yards. First 5 rounds I ever fired from the rifle after buying it and mounting a 4-16X scope.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

There is (or was) a man who lived in Borden, Indiana who has considerable experience in rimfire rifles. He wrote several articles for Precision Shooting magazine.


A friend of mine has a very nice air rifle that is only rifled for the last 1 or 2 inches of the barrel. He will tell you on a target with flies printed on it, which part of the wing he will hit.

Bill calfee is who you speak of.

And the airgun must be an FX. I have one and yes it gets boring shooting aleve pills at 25yds. They have a patent on that style barrel i think. I need a fly target like that. You could dissect a fly with an FX

 

[natdscott]

There is (or was) a man who lived in Borden, Indiana who has considerable experience in rimfire rifles. He wrote several articles for Precision Shooting magazine. His name is David Coffee/Caffee ?
His experience and his method of getting the maximum available accuracy from a .22 was to slug the barrel to find the tight spot.
Then cut off the rest of the barrel on the muzzle end AFTER the tight spot. Doesn't matter how long the barrel ends up being.


A friend of mine has a very nice air rifle that is only rifled for the last 1 or 2 inches of the barrel. He will tell you on a target with flies printed on it, which part of the wing he will hit.

Yep. Bill Calfee's the guy.

I'm pretty familiar with his methods, being that I hedge my barrel crowns the same way.

The trouble in the general market, though, is that people DO care how long the barrel is when it's done. Just because Bill sez that my blank "speaks" at 27.14" doesn't mean I want to carry that around in the woods, or even in target shooting less formal than BR, or where weight is a concern like Silhouette.

Short of ordering 10 blanks, the only way Bill could ever get an exact length barrel, and still get the muzzle he needed, was to cut off the back end. First, that doesn't always work out; even if given a 40" blank, the "right" 24 inches might just not be there. Second, and more pressing, is the fact that you could very likely run into breech diameter issues...you're cutting off the shank, afterall.

Anyway, the last one I did held air for something over a week, sitting in the corner.

Now my smith argued...well, not argued, but strongly questioned...why I wasn't having him 11-degree crown the barrel at the normal 20" length, and why was I asking for a 0.500" counterbored 90-degree crown in such an oddball place?... Well, I can't say he agreed with my method, and I can't say his CNC special setup was free...

...but my gawd does that Shilen Ratchet shoot.

Someday I guess I should actually measure how long that barrel actually finished. Probably about 25"?

But the key takeaways here are that 1)for that rifle's purpose, I did not care one IOTA how long or short it was, and (2) I was full custom, with boutique barrel, and a lot of time and effort to make it do ONE thing REALLY well.

This guy's GENERAL question demanded a pretty general answer. I think we all agree that Bill Calfee is very much not 'general'! Hehehe...

 

[dave@aDave]

Yep. Bill Calfee's the guy.

I'm pretty familiar with his methods, being that I hedge my barrel crowns the same way.

The trouble in the general market, though, is that people DO care how long the barrel is when it's done. Just because Bill sez that my blank "speaks" at 27.14" doesn't mean I want to carry that around in the woods, or even in target shooting less formal than BR, or where weight is a concern like Silhouette.



This guy's GENERAL question demanded a pretty general answer. I think we all agree that Bill Calfee is very much not 'general'! Hehehe...

From his writings and from people who know/knew him, I believe I would enjoy spending a couple of hours with him.

 

[natdscott]

From his writings and from people who know/knew him, I believe I would enjoy spending a couple of hours with him.

TOTALLY. I'd like to just stand off to the side and watch his process on chambering a rimfire.

I spoke with him on the phone for about 40 minutes once in regards to a pretty special Anschutz barrel. The dude is a real wealth of information and a pretty insteresting guy.

 

[Tim s]

There is (or was) a man who lived in Borden, Indiana who has considerable experience in rimfire rifles. He wrote several articles for Precision Shooting magazine. His name is David Coffee/Caffee ?
His experience and his method of getting the maximum available accuracy from a .22 was to slug the barrel to find the tight spot.
Then cut off the rest of the barrel on the muzzle end AFTER the tight spot. Doesn't matter how long the barrel ends up being.


A friend of mine has a very nice air rifle that is only rifled for the last 1 or 2 inches of the barrel. He will tell you on a target with flies printed on it, which part of the wing he will hit.

Your recollection is, in fact, incorrect.
First, the tight spot you refer to is typically only an inch or so from the end of the blank. If it is anywhere well back from there, the blank is likely never fitted.
Second, the individual is Bill Calfee, and he is currently fitting barrels that now push 27".